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Original poster

Should bar be boycotted for turning away soldiers?

32 replies

BettySuarez · 27/06/2012 22:25

Reading this on BBC news site and apparently over 30,000 people have joined a Facebook campaign calling for their licence to be revoked and for the bar to be boycotted.

A possible overreaction or understandable given the circumstances?

I wasn't aware that bars/pubs did or even could turn away men in uniform but if the bar has experienced trouble in the past then perhaps you could understand the policy.

The bar owner has already apologised and said that staff had no idea that a funeral was taking place.

Seems like an incredibly sad story all round Sad

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-coventry-warwickshire-18607764

OP posts:
landofsoapandglory · 27/06/2012 22:30

I think it is totally understandable given the circumstances. It made me really angry when I heard about it on the radio, those men had just carried their mate's body, who had given his life for this country, into his funeral. How disrespectful can you get?

I bloody hope the pub goes out of business Angry

EdithWeston · 27/06/2012 22:34

No place for a blanket ban based on occupation.

Soldiers (and sailors an airmen) should not be boozing in pubs in uniform, so there shouldn't actually a need for such a ban. I've no problem with banning groups who look as if they might be troublesome though - but that's not synonymous with being in the Forces.

There were unusual circumstances in this case, as they were in uniform because they had been attending a funeral.

quoteunquote · 27/06/2012 22:36

So why are they banned?

Original poster
BettySuarez · 27/06/2012 22:39

They were banned for being in uniform - I just wondered whether this was common policy?

They were just trying to calm their nerves before being pall-bearers for a commrades funeral, including the brother of the soldier who has lost his life.

I would have paid for the round if it had been me

OP posts:
BlackOutTheSun · 27/06/2012 22:41

This reply has been deleted

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Original poster
BettySuarez · 27/06/2012 22:42

or as blackout said it Smile Sad

OP posts:
BlackOutTheSun · 27/06/2012 22:44

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BlackOutTheSun · 27/06/2012 22:47

Sorry Betty just thats my hometown and I know what that bar is like.

Original poster
BettySuarez · 27/06/2012 22:48

Don't apologise, they sound dreadful Sad

OP posts:
BlackOutTheSun · 27/06/2012 22:49

They are, Its based in a student part of the city, thats the only reason why its still open

TheMysteryCat · 27/06/2012 22:52

where i used to live soldiers were not allowed off base in their uniform. pubs, shops etc were told to let the MOD plods know of any seen out in the their uniform. it was years ago, but i thought this was a common directive, so i'm afraid i don't understand why such vitriol for the pub landlord.

he's even said sorry, so not sure why people are getting so very, very cross.

EdithWeston · 27/06/2012 22:53

If you look on MoD pages you will find that Service personnel are not permitted to enter licences premises in uniform (even when not consuming alcohol) without permission of the chain of command (JSP 440?)

I think there are similar bans in place for the other uniformed services.

Publicans can also bar pretty much who they like.

JosephineCD · 27/06/2012 23:09

I don't know why forces people aren't allowed in pubs in uniform. They should be.

jubilucket · 27/06/2012 23:15

Well... squaddies out on the lash was a hazard way back when we had a barracks in the town, some pubs let them in and some didn't.
Also they weren't allowed out in uniform for many years as it made them a target for terrorist activity.

TheMysteryCat · 27/06/2012 23:18

what jubilucket said

that and it's a uniform - a doctor or a nurse wouldn't go off to the pub in uniform, nor would a fire man/woman or a police officer.

their uniforms are a symbol that they are on duty, which i suppose is the sensible reason why not.

quoteunquote · 27/06/2012 23:28

when I said why were they banned, I meant why has the owner of the bar taken the steps to ban people in military uniform,

It's unusual to turn money away, there must be a reason.

CogitoErgoSometimes · 28/06/2012 07:33

Bet they wish they'd gone to Starbucks for a coffee, rather than a bar...

MNHQ
SandyMumsnet · 28/06/2012 12:59

Hi everyone,

This thread has been brought to our attention.

We have no wish to censor discussion here, but we will delete any posts that could be seen as potentially libelous or defamatory.

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TheKnackeredChef · 28/06/2012 13:11

I think [http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowUserReviews-g186403-d800387-r108599530-Browns-Coventry_Warwickshire_England.html this Trip Advisor review] says it all really.

TheKnackeredChef · 28/06/2012 13:13

Dammit. This review, I mean.

badtasteflump · 28/06/2012 13:22

Huge overreaction from the 30,000 people on FB IMO, all whipped up by the media in the first place...

And a bit of a non-story made into a big drama. People are getting upset because they think the pub landlord was being disrespectful to a soldier killed in action. He wasn't. He was simply sticking to the rules of not serving anybody in uniform - which I thought was the norm for most pubs anyway.

So where's the story there? Confused

jubilucket · 28/06/2012 13:25

Have just realised my post upthread makes little or no sense as I failed to put in which comment it was in response to.
As a matter of fact, soldiers in uniform are usually very well behaved, esp. if they're in no.1's which they would be for a formal event like a funeral. The squaddies on the lash I referred to above were not in uniform. They tended to act like any group of alcohol fuelled young men would... having a blanket ban on persons in uniform is rather silly and definitely pointless.

TCOB · 28/06/2012 13:28

DH works near the bar and one of his friends was barred - sitting drinking a coffee and reading a broadsheet quietly. Bouncer came up to him and asked him to leave - he asked why - the reply was: 'I don't have to have a reason.' They are all-round nobheads though appear to have picked the wrong target this time. It's an idiotic place where they bar people for any reason they fancy.

TCOB · 28/06/2012 13:29

Just seen the reviews! Honest to goodness I had the convo with DH before I read all those...but word for word appears to what lots of people have been told there...

ivykaty44 · 28/06/2012 19:04

As I am local to Coventry I saw this on fb tuesday morning. This didn't surprise me as the father and daughter team that run the bar have a reputation to deciding who can't and who can frequent their establishment on how people look - and if the look isn't correct for that day or minute they get told to get out - even when eating people have been asked to leave.

The soldiers were rehersing for the funeral and one of the pallbearers was the brother and they took him to the bar and order coffee to calm him down and have a break - after the friendly barmaid had started pouring the coffees (so she took the order and was friendly and knew no policy before hand of not serving soldiers) the manger asked them to get out as and when asked why were told they were not the sort the bar wanted in their bar.

The family do not want any violence or threats to the bar but are fine with a boycotting.

TBH I wouldn't think anyone would actually want to be seen in this bar right now as it sanctions what happened, so I am pretty sure it will have an impact on the business